Johnson should consider Myler for national team: Jim Mallinder
Former England Saxons player Jim Mallinder, who is currently working as the Northampton Saints’ director of rugby, believes that Martin Johnson should consider the Saints fly-half Stephen Myler for the England national team.
The 26-year-old Myler was part of the England Saxons team which won the Churchill Cup in June this year, and Myler was the protagonist behind England’s famous win, who scored 36 points for his country in three matches.
Talking to the media last night, Mallinder said he personally believes that Myler has the potential to be given a chance in England’s national squad, as he has been playing well of late. He said that Myler’s current form is outstanding, and this is the most
suitable time to bring him into the national team, as England’s current fly-half’s performances are not up to the mark.
Should Myler be included in the national squad, he will have to challenge the likes of Charlie Hodgson, Toby Flood and Jonny Wilkinson for the fly-half position. However Mallinder believes that Myler has the capacity to compete with these players, as he
is a very determined player who doesn’t shy away from a challenge.
Mallinder said, "We want fly-halves to control the game, and to have a sound kicking game from both the hand and from the ground. He's got to be good in attack, with good distribution, and attack the line at the right times, and be strong in defence. At
the weekend, we saw Stephen doing all those jobs really well."
Widnes born Stephen Myler started his career at the age of 16 when he joined St. Helens Academy, but unfortunately he couldn’t get a chance to represent them in any match. In 2003 Myler joined Widnes Vikings and impressed everyone with his spectacular skill
and pace. He played 49 matches for the Widnes Vikings, and scored 149 points in his three year long association with them. In the 2006 season Myler signed a contract with Salford City Reds and represented them in 12 matches, scoring 34 points for them.
Myler started his Rugby Union career in 2006 when he joined the Northampton Saints, and he made his debut against Saracens the same year. Soon after his debut, he became a regular member of the Saints’ squad. He has represented Saints in 112 matches, scoring
843 points. He has average of approximately eight points for the Saints’ which shows his skill and importance for the Saints.
Mallinder added that Myler has developed himself as the Saints first choice fly-half, replacing Shane Geraghty. This shows that he fully deserves to play for England, after replacing a player like Geraghty who has also represented England in six international
Test matches.
Undeniably, Myler is a class player and his performance for the Saints’ and England Saxons are marvelous. His performances suggest that he deserves to be part of England national team, especially when England’s current fly-half’s are not performing at their
best.
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